Obsession: Deep, Dark Secrets
by BregoBeauty
Summary: Abby Rippner never knew the truth about her parents' split. When she gets a chance to meet the father that she's longing for, she unravels seventeen years worth of lies and decit... Part four of 'Obsession' Series.
1. Prologue

**Deep, Dark Secrets**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Summary:** Sequel to _On Your Mind_ Abby Rippner knows that the past is better left alone, but when her stepfather suggests that she visit her birth father, she blindly walks into a trap that has been nearly seventeen years in the making…

**Prologue**

Abby Rippner always had a rocky relationship with her mother. She had always felt that something was missing in her life and she blamed it on her mother.

Lisa Rippner, now Lisa Carter, had been in therapy for most of Abby's childhood and had always been distant around her. Abby had constantly been able to sense that there was some animosity towards her. Being a single parent should have formed a bond between mother and daughter, but there was no bond. There was a line between them that neither of them understood.

In her head she knew that it was all because of her father. Her step-father, Dr. Philippe Carter, had said as much using different words. There was some secret past that he was covering up and that her mother was unwilling to face.

Philippe had done everything in his power to treat Abby like a daughter, but she had refused. She was stubborn-minded and resented him. In Abby's mind, Philippe was the reason why her father was gone.

Abby had never known the truth. She did not know that her precious father was supposedly dead, at least in Lisa's mind. Only Philippe knew otherwise and when she finally turned fifteen, he dropped the bomb that her father was alive and locked up.

Until then, she had just assumed that angering Lisa would reunite her with her father. She had done everything in her power to rebel against her mother and step-father. Now, she knew that he probably did not even know that she existed.

Abby was now determined to meet her father and do anything in her power to bring him back into her life and away from her mother. She was confident that he would fill the aching hole in her heart.

**Author's Notes:**

Not the best prologue, but it's a quick overview of the past fifteen years. Lisa and Philippe married when Abby was five, and it only widened the rift between them because of Abby's bond with Jackson. She knows nothing about what happened to her mother because Lisa prefers to keep it hidden. Her whole world is about to explode though. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 1: Difficult To Accept

**Deep, Dark Secrets**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter One: Difficult to Accept**

Abby Rippner had never realized that her mother hated her father. She had just assumed that they had divorced when she was younger and her mother had taken custody of her. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought that her father was locked up and Lisa believed him to be dead.

_At least he's alive and you have a reason why he's ignored you for your entire life. _

Philippe did not tell her why he was imprisoned; just that he was currently housed in a high-security prison for the criminally insane.

_He can't be insane, can he? I'm not insane, so why is he?_

For as long as she could remember, a piece of her life had been missing. It was not just a father figure, because she had Philippe, but it was her real father. She missed him even though she had no memory of even having met him. Her step-father was really closed-mouthed about him and her mother had clearly forbidden any talk about him in her presence.

Lisa would always pause whenever she had tried to bring up her father before. After she realized who she was inquiring about, her mother would become hysterical and Philippe would jump into action. Philippe was forever calming down her mother and still had occasion therapy session with her after Abby upset her.

_My own mother hates being in the same room as me. She can't stand to look at me. I know she hates me._

Lisa had even tried without any luck to convince her to dye her hair a different color or to wear colored contacts. Abby had always refused even though many girls her age would have be excited to have their mothers ask them to dye their hair. For some unknown reason, her appearance bothered her mother and she relished the discomfort that it brought, even when Philippe was there to reassure her.

_I must look like my father and that's why she hates me. She hated him and since he's locked up, she only has me to be upset by. _

Abby hated being lied to. Her entire life, she had assumed that her father was being kept away by Philippe and would one day come for her. Now, not only was Philippe keeping him locked up, her father could never see her. He could not even visit.

_"He's never been allowed a visitor anyways. He's too dangerous to be around other people. He's separated even from the other inmates," Philippe explained when she asked about visiting him._

It was extremely cruel for Philippe to keep them apart. He had no right to keep her from her father. She knew that was why he was still her father's psychiatrist – it was to make them unhappy and ensure that they were separated.

There was a gaping hole in Abby's young heart that yearned for her father. She had been denied love from her mother and also from Philippe. He had tried to be her father, but she didn't want him. She wanted the man who's last name she bore. She wanted her daddy.

_No one can replace him. He's my father and I miss him. Surely, he must miss me too, unless he doesn't even know I exist. Maybe Philippe is keeping me a secret from him. He sure had no qualms about keeping him locked up for all these years while I cried myself to sleep at night._

All she wanted was her father. She just wanted to feel loved.

_If he had a choice, I doubt he would leave me with mommy dearest. He would keep me with him if Philippe wasn't keeping him locked up and medicated. I bet Philippe made him insane just to punish us both. _

Her father was not insane. There was no way he was crazy. Philippe was lying to her; just like he had lied to her since the beginning. She would know in her heart with he was crazy and she could feel that he was not. He was as sane as she was and quite possibly saner that Lisa Carter.

_Not that it takes much to be saner than her. If anyone's crazy and needs to be locked up, it's my mother._

Obviously, Philippe disagreed with her on that. He treated Lisa at home and had been treating her for as long as Abby could remember. He loved her mother far too much to send her away.

Yet, he had banished her father without a thought towards Abby's feelings. Of course, why would he care about the 'baggage' from her mother's first marriage? No step-father ever truly wanted another man's child in their life and if they had to deal with one, then would do everything in their power to make them miserable. At least, that's what Philippe seemed to be trying to do.

Abby sighed. _All I want is my daddy. Is that too much to ask for?_

_Apparently so…_

**Author's Notes:**

Abby's a really unhappy teenager. She doesn't know what Jackson's done, or even what his first name is. Of course, she'll find a way to meet him because she's inherited his sneakiness. Philippe's not as bad as she is making him out to be, but she needs someone to hate and to blame for her pain, so he's a good scapegoat. Thanks for the reviews!


	3. Chapter 2: Sooner Than That

**Deep, Dark Secrets**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Two: Sooner Than That**

As time passed, Abby knew that she had to meet her father. Philippe had promised her that she could visit him once she was an adult. But waiting three more years was far too long. She had already missed fifteen years and she not want to waste any more time. She needed her father and she wanted to believe that he needed her too.

That's why the following day, when Philippe returned home from work, she was waiting for him on the front steps. Her mother was somewhere inside, doing who knows.

"Hello, Abby," he said with a smile as he came up the walk.

"Hello," she replied stiffly, not bothering to bring her gaze up from the crack that she was intently studying near his feet.

"Is something wrong?" Philippe set down his briefcase and then sat down beside her. She could feel his worried gaze, but she was sick of his concerned act.

"I want to see him," Abby stated simply and without emotion.

"Who?"

"My father. Philippe, I have to see my father."

"I can't do that. Your mother—" he started to protest without thinking.

"—will find out that he's alive unless you take me to him. I want to see my dad and nothing will stop me," threatened Abby with a sly smile and a cool, even tone. She had turned her face towards him for the first time since he arrived.

"You're blackmailing me?" Philippe seemed completely shocked at her audacity.

"He's my father," she said quietly, trying to appeal to his emotions—his humanity. "I need to see him."

"Abby," Philippe's voice was slow and saddened. "He's not in a good state. He's spent the past fifteen years locked up and in therapy. He—"

"You told him that I died, didn't you?" _He's been playing the death game with all of us for years. Why would he stop with my father?_

Philippe paused for a moment. He looked shaken by her deduction. She felt a sense of pride for unraveling his own game. All these games had to end. She would end them.

"Everything that I've done, I've done it to protect you and Lisa. I love you more than I could any other daughter and I love Lisa more than I can explain. I won't let him hurt either of you again."

"Again?" Abby was confused. "But I've never met him before," she insisted. _How? When? Why did he leave me? Why did he let this happen?_

"Actually, for the first few days of your life, you lived with your father."

"What is his name?" _No one has ever told me his name._

"Jackson… Jackson Rippner."

"I just want to see my father. Just give us an hour at least, please."

"Or?" _Are you trying to test me?_

"I tell mommy dearest that you lied to her. And I think we both know what happens if she finds out…" Abby was smug and satisfied. She knew that Philippe would never risk upsetting her 'delicate' mother.

Philippe seemed reluctant, but she had him. He was going to agree—she had left him no choice.

"Do we have a deal?" she questioned.

With his head slightly bent, he responded quietly. "Yes, we have a deal."

"Good."

A smirk crossed her face. She had done it. She was getting her way. She was going to see her father.

_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Blackmail—I had blackmailed my step-father into allowing me the privilege of visiting my own father. I was taking back the rights that I deserved. No one should be denied the right of seeing their father._

After fifteen years of longing, Abby would finally see him. She would be loved by him. He would tell her how much he missed her and that he had never meant to leave. Philippe had locked him away for all these lonely years.

_After all, how could my father willingly give me up? I was as good as stolen from him. He says it was to protect me, but I doubt it. How does keeping us apart benefit me?_

"Abby, are you feeling okay?" Lisa's oddly concerned voice broke through her thoughts. She had forgotten that she was seated at the dinner table. After Philippe came home, the entire 'family' sat down to eat dinner.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"You just seemed distracted. Are you sure you're alright?"

Mother and daughter both cringed at those three annoying words. 'Are you sure' was a phrase rarely spoken in the Carter household. Philippe did not seem to notice the tension that hung in the air.

"Of course I am," Abby snapped angrily, surprising Lisa with her sudden anger.

"I was just—"

"I don't give a—"

The table jumped slightly as Philippe brought his fists down on the hard wood harshly.

"Abby!" His voice was unusually stern. "Go to your room _now_. And apologize to your mother before you go."

"No, I don't think I will," Abby said joyfully as she left the table. _I am finally allowed to be on my own! Can't you see this is what I want?_ "See ya!"

She stood outside the dinning room, eager to hear what they had to say about her behavior. She knew that they would be talking about her. She also knew that Philippe would never tell what had happened and about her father still being alive.

"Philippe," she heard her mother moan in despair. "Where did I go wrong? How did I make her hate me? I tried to love her…"

"My dear Lisa, what happened wasn't you're fault. That bastard Jackson is the one to blame; not you. If he had never gotten his hands on her, then she would be fine."

"I tried to stop him."

"I know you did. You did every thing possible in your state to stop him. If only I had believed you sooner, then maybe we could have saved her."

_What did he do? What did my father do wrong? What did he do? What do you mean 'save me'?_

The lies were piling up. The deceptions were growing. Something was wrong and she knew that it all had to do with her father. Hopefully he would be the one to help her unravel everything and discover the truth. Surely he would welcome her back into his life with open arms. He had to have wanted her judging by the way they were talking.

_Then how did everything all go wrong? How did I lose him?_

**Author's Notes:**

Abby is certainly the spitting image of her father. She's more like him than Lisa and Philippe would like to admit. Of course, that will all change once she finally meets Jackson. Or at least, one would hope… Thanks for the reviews!

Unknown Angel- The meeting will probably be in the next chapter and it will only be their first meeting. Jackson will brainwash her with his charm and 'love' and use her to achieve his own ends. He's a manipulator and prison is not going to stop him. After all, a psychopath can't be healed. Thanks for the review:)


	4. Chapter 3: All Things Considered

**Deep, Dark Secrets**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Three: All Things Considered**

Barely a day had passed when Philippe came to her. He explained to her that he had arranged her visit to Jackson Rippner for the coming weekend. It was two days away, but it was far sooner than he would have chosen had she given him a choice.

The rest of the week flew by as Abby ran through various conversations in her mind. She made lists of topics to discuss, questions to ask, and information that she wanted to share. She desperately wanted him to become a part of her life.

Too much time had passed. There was fifteen years of her life wasted. For fifteen years, he had believed that she was dead and she had believed that he would eventually come back for her. Lies… blasted lies had kept them apart.

"Are you ready?" Philippe asked Abby the morning of her visit to her father.

Abby scoffed. "Are you kidding? Of course I am!"

"If you say so," he said with a sigh. He appeared to be nervous and edgy. _What does he think might happen? My father would never hurt me, if that's what he's worried about!_

Lisa entered the entry hall before they could slip out the door.

"Bye, sweetie, have fun with your dad," Lisa said with a smile as she gave Abby a tight hug. She then stepped towards Philippe and gave him a kiss. "It's so nice that you two are finally getting along. I've been hoping for years that this day would come! I'm so happy that you've finally accepted Philippe as your father!"

_Will you shut up? Philippe is not my father! He's responsible for locking my real father up. That's who I'm really spending time with. This has nothing to do with some step-father—daughter bonding thing. It's about father-daughter bonding, with my real father._

Abby flashed a false smile at her mother and then opened the front door. She could not wait to get away from Lisa. _Why is she being so friendly now? Why did it take fifteen years for her to show some affection towards me?_

Philippe followed her a few moments later, but Abby was already half-way down the walk and striding purposefully towards his car. She was eager to see her father. She had barely slept at all the previous night. She had lain awake in her bed, dreaming of their meeting.

Her father would be a kind, caring person. He would rejoice in seeing her as much as she would rejoice in finally seeing him again. He would tell her how greatly he missed her and how upset he was that he had been unable to contact her. He would make promises and he would keep them. He would love her, like a father should love his daughter.

A chirp sounded; letting Abby know that the car was unlocked. She opened the passenger side door and hopped into his semi-new sports car. It was bright red and he took excellent care of it even though it was several years old. Lisa had begged him time and time again to buy a sensible car, but he refused. Apparently, her mother was deathly afraid of BMWs, which were the only type of sensible cars that he also liked. He had once had a blue BMW, but he had abruptly sold it fifteen years ago after he met her mother. At least, that's how the story went.

Philippe slide into the driver's seat and started the engine. He still appeared to be distracted and apprehensive of the impending meeting.

"Did you tell my dad that I'm coming to see him?" Abby inquired.

"Huh? Oh, no. I figured it would be better if you surprised him yourself. I didn't want him to be thinking about it too much. It's better this way. He's not the type of person that it's safe to tell things in advance."

"Why not?"

"It's just not. Ask him to tell you why," he replied bitterly.

She could sense the hatred that Philippe had for her father. _Does this animosity go both ways? Is it because my father still loves my mother and me? Is that why Philippe locked him up? Did Philippe do that to keep Lisa for himself?_

Soon, all the answers that she yearned for would be hers. Her father would answer all of her questions.

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Abby paid no attention to the bricked building surrounded with fences and an alarming amount of security. All of her thoughts were firmly focused on her father. _What could it possibly be like, living in this place?_

"We can still go home," Philippe whispered. "You don't have to go through with this."

"Yes, I do!" snapped Abby in surprise. _How could I abandon my father?_

"Okay."

She followed him inside and passed all of the security checks. Her purse had to remain behind with a guard for her own protection. She was led towards an empty, dull room. A table and two chairs were situated in the room.

"Jackson Rippner?" the guard asked in amazement after Philippe announced who Abby was there to visit.

"Yes, she's here to visit Mr. Rippner."

"Did his doctor give permission for this?"

"I'm his doctor and I deemed it okay. She's determined to see him," Philippe said sadly.

"If she wants to see someone insane, she could visit someone less _dangerous_."

"Will you just get him? He's my father and I want to see him!" snapped Abby angrily. She was sick of getting the run-around.

The guard hurried away while Philippe helped Abby into the room. He explained that if her father threatened her or tried to harm her that all she had to do was head towards the door and the guards would take care of Jackson Rippner.

_Like I would ever need to do that…_

"Okay, I'll be making rounds while you're here, but I'll be back in an hour," Philippe told her after a guard nodded at him.

"Peachy."

Just then, the door opposite the one that she had entered opened and the guards led in a lanky man with same color hair as her own and piercing, ice-cold eyes. He curled his lips into a sneer and glared across the room at Philippe.

Her father had arrived.

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"Hello, Doc, come to have a chat with me?" Jackson Rippner said coldly. He had yet to notice Abby. He was focused solely on Philippe, the man responsible for his incarceration.

"Not today Rippner," Philippe responded coolly. "Someone else wants to visit you."

"Yeah? Who?"

"Dad!" Abby cried joyfully, running across the room to envelope Jackson in a hug. The former assassination manager froze awkwardly, and then returned the hug. While Abby was looking over his shoulder, his face morphed into a pleasant expression. Gone were the smugness and the hatred.

"Abby, oh how I've missed you!" Jackson lied. He remembered that her name was Abby. She was his daughter, Lisa's daughter, the one that looked like him. It was only because of her looks and the surety that he had no other kids that he was able to guess her name.

"I've missed you too!"

"I thought…"

"That I was dead? Yeah, Philippe told me," Abby remarked with a frown.

"How do you know him?" Jackson inquired. He wanted to know how the psychiatrist figured into Lisa's life.

"He's my step-father." Abby made a disgusted face. _Not surprised at that…I always knew he was trying to steal my Lisa._

"For how long?"

"The last ten years. Not that I can remember a time when he wasn't always hanging around. He's been trying to take your place, but I wouldn't let him."

"Why don't you sit down?" Jackson suggested, gesturing to a chair. Abby nodded and sat down. Jackson dragged his chair over to the same side of the table as hers. She smiled at that.

_I must remember to remain charming. I don't want to scare her away. She might be my only shot at getting out of here and taking back my wife._

"Dad, why are you in here? Philippe refused to tell me."

"Oh, it was all just a misunderstanding. Your mother and I used to fight a lot and she made up all these ridiculous stories about me and what I'd done. She used to hurt herself or force me to hurt her when she had a fit. She was psychotically violent, not me. Of course, _Dr. Carter just had_ to believe _her_."

"Then why did the guards keep saying you were dangerous?"

"I'm not. It's a lie that the good doctor has concocted. He likes keeping me under his thumb. Half the time I'm drugged senseless. I knew something was up because I was more alert today than I've been in years." _They have no idea what danger really is._

"He drugs you?" Abby sounded horrified.

"Of course. He's jealous of me. He stole my Lisa from me."

"When?"

"Did they never tell you how they meet? Tsk, tsk…" he said. _Dear Lisa, you didn't mention anything, did you? That's fine, I'll tell our daughter what really happened and how you betrayed me when I loved you…_

"What happened?"

"Lisa was in the hospital for your birth and she had another one of her fits. I took you away to protect you and the hospital mixed up the records and listed you as dead. Lisa freaked out and they sent good old Dr. Carter in to check on her.

"She lied through her teeth about me and swore that I had kidnapped you. What kind of father would I have been if I had left you with her? I took you from her to protect you. I hired a nanny to help me care for you. You ended up liking me best though and I was always the one who could quiet you down no matter what. Lisa hated it…"

_Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, what lies have you been telling our daughter? How dare you lie to her like this? She deserves to know the truth._

"She's always hated me," Abby admitted bitterly. _You hate her too, don't you? Don't worry—together we'll achieve our revenge._

"It's because you were closer to me than to her. She always took that personally. Anyways, I tried to get Dr. Carter to release her to me, but he refused and I even faxed her medical records. He insisted they were false. The only problem with them was that the fool of a doctor that I sent her to had listed her last name wrong. How someone can confuse Rippner with something as insane as DeCoute, I'll never understand.

"The papers were under Lisa DeCoute, instead of Lisa Rippner, and the hospital had her listed as Lisa Reisert, and he refused to release her without an adequate documentation of her mental problems as well as identification. I had to trick him, and in his eyes, 'kidnap' my own wife.

"Lisa was disoriented when I brought her home. She became convinced that I was going to hurt her when Dr. Carter showed up and began accusing me in my home. When he first showed up in my house, I thought he was a burglar or someone intent upon hurting you or Lisa. I couldn't let that happen, so I knocked him out and tied him up. I hid him in a secret room and went to check on Lisa.

"When Lisa was better, I brought her down to see him and she had a psychotic break and attacked me. She shot my kneecaps out as 'retribution', but luckily I was able to get replacements, much like she received a year earlier after she took a hammer to her own knees in her bathtub."

"Oh, my…" Abby was shocked.

Jackson sighed sadly. "I'm so sorry that you've had to live with such a crazy mother. It's my fault…"

"No, it's Philippe's," insisted Abby. "He bought all of her crazy stories. Oh, dad…"

Abby reached over to hug him again. He smirked.

"My Abby, my little Abby," he crooned, smoothing her unruly dark hair. "It's been too long."

"I love you daddy," she whispered in a little girl voice.

"I love you too, my sweet little Abby," he responded sweetly, his voice as smooth as silk.

_I have you right where I want you. You'll get me out of here, one way or another…_

Jackson Rippner's mind was already plotting his escape. For the first time since his imprisonment had begun, he actually had a chance at freedom.

**Author's Notes:**

Jackson's got a very twisted version of what happened. It's a shame that Abby believes him. He just wants to use her to get free. He's enjoying manipulating someone for the first time in years. Philippe keeps him far too drugged for him to manipulate other people on a regular basis. Enjoy and thanks for all the reviews!


	5. Chapter 4: Any Unforeseeable Problem

**Deep, Dark Secrets**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Four: Any Unforeseeable Problem**

Jackson was just like Abby had always imagined. He had cared about her, unlike everyone else. He seemed to enjoy hearing about her life and frowned at every mention of Philippe. She could have sworn that he smiled slightly whenever he mentioned her mother.

He had in turn shared stories about his life and of when he had been with her mother. There was a wistful glance in his chilly blue eyes every time he spoke about Lisa. She had a feeling that if he could, he would stop at nothing to get her mother back. He clearly missed his broken family.

Jackson had told her how pleased he was with her accomplishments and how delighted he was that she was alive.

Abby had not wanted to leave her father when her time was up. There was so much more to discuss that they had not reached.

_"I'll be back, I promise, dad. I'll come back!" she had yelled to him as Philippe led her from the room and the guards dragged him back to his cell._

She already missed him. The hour that she had spent chatting with him was the happiest time of her life that she could remember. It was unfair that they had been so cruelly torn apart by her mother's mental instability and Philippe's jealousy.

Abby knew that she would go back to visit. She still had power over Philippe. She could still tell her mother about Jackson being alive. Abby was considering spilling the information just to see the look on Lisa's face and to witness the destruction of her own family. She wanted Philippe out of her life and she wanted to be away from her mother. She just wanted to be with her father.

---------------------------------------------------

The following weekend, Abby had 'convinced' Philippe to take her to visit Jackson once more. He had attempted to talk her out of it, but had failed.

_No one will keep us apart. He's my father and I want to see him._

It was the same procedure as the previous time. Abby had drifted off into her thoughts as she waited in the same dank room for the guards to bring her father. She had quickly snapped back to reality when he sauntered in with a wide smirk.

She was surprised at his facial expression and actions until she realized that Philippe was standing behind her.

"Shoo," Jackson almost growled at the psychiatrist, his cold eyes boring a hole into Philippe. "This is _my_ time with _my_ daughter."

"I'll make my rounds and come back," Philippe whispered to Abby and then shot a glare at Jackson.

_They're both fighting over me…why? Why does Philippe even care about me? I'm Jackson Rippner's daughter, not Philippe Carter's daughter. _

"How's my Abby today?" Jackson asked her sweetly.

"I'm doing much better now that you are here, dad," she replied happily as Jackson gave her a hug. He was not afraid to show affection towards her, unlike her mother.

"That's good sweetie."

"I missed you so much," she sighed sadly. "Philippe and mommy dearest were unbearable all week…"

"I'm sorry about that."

"You're here now and that's all that matters." She smiled brightly at him.

"Abby, I need you to trust me," Jackson said softly, his voice becoming very low.

"Why? What's wrong dad?" Abby was suddenly unnerved by his words. _Had something happened to him over the past week? Had Philippe done something to him as repayment for her blackmail? He sure seemed vindictive enough…_

"My little Abby, sweet Abby." He smiled at her with his icy eyes sparkling. "I'm going to take you home."

"What!" She was outraged. _How dare he try to send me home! After everything that I've done to be with him? Doesn't he care about me in the slightest?_

"You don't want to live with him anymore—you told me so. I'll take you away from here. How would you like to live with me?"

"Oh dad… but how? How can you get me away from them? He won't let me leave."

_This is like a dream come true for me. All I ever wanted was to be with my father. Now, now he wants me too… Is this all just a dream or am I really lucky for once?_

"I need you to pretend to be scared of me, Abby. I want the guards to come in. Don't worry—I won't ever hurt you. Just pretend. Do it for us. This way we can leave together," her father promised and pleaded. She hated to see him beg. _He should know by now that I'll do whatever he asks._

"But Philippe—" she warned. Her step-father would all too eagerly stop any all plans that they made. He was determined to keep her unhappy.

"Will acquiesce unless he wants me to hurt you. I'm going to threaten you, but just know this—I will _never_ hurt you. I swear I won't."

Something about his voice; the desperation, the compassion, the worry. It snared her and she believed him. Abby pitied him. He too had been hurt by Philippe and Lisa. He needed someone that cared about him as much as she did, if not more. Being locked up for fifteen years was not a punishment that she would wish for anyone—no matter how much she hated them.

"I trust you, dad," Abby told him sincerely with a wide smile. She always would trust him, unlike Philippe and Lisa. They had betrayed her trust by hiding Jackson from her. He had nothing to hide from her. He told her the truth.

"Good." His voice lost all feeling and turned cold. _Daddy, what's going on?_

An animalistic sneer crossed his pale face before he grabbed her by the throat. He yanked her out of her chair beside him and spun her into the wall. Her back harshly collided with the cement wall and she cried out in pain. _You're hurting me!_

The pain in her eyes was clear. But something had snapped in him. Jackson was no longer the father that she dreamed about and cared immensely for. He was a monster now. He was hurting her, even after promising not to. He was no better than the people she had been living with her entire life.

"Scream louder," he urged her, growing rougher in his movements. He slammed her repeatedly into the wall, rattling her head. "Fight me, Abby."

"No! Help!" Abby finally yelled, clawing at his iron grasp.

_Dad, what are you doing? Daddy, please don't hurt me. You promised that you'd never hurt me!_

"You think I can forgive you, Leese? I'll never forgive you! I gave you my love and you betrayed me! You're nothing more than a back-stabbing little whore, Lisa!" Jackson railed, knocking his helpless daughter around. He remained fairly close to her the entire time he was hurting her and it was all in plain view. There was nothing discrete about his abuse.

_Lisa? Daddy, it's me, it's Abby! Please, please stop hurting me! I'm not her; I'd never betray you!_

Two guards rushed in to pry Jackson from her trembling form. His fury scared her. He was lost in this game he was playing. He was harming her. Suddenly, he turned his attention and anger towards the men who had come to save her. He lashed out blindly and erratically.

_He's truly insane… he's the perfect picture of a madman. Oh God, what have I done?_

A head-butt rendered the one guard unconscious. The ex-manager deftly ripped the gun from the limp man's holster and reached towards his daughter.

Abby screamed loudly in fear when his cold hand grazed her skin. He pulled her tight against his chest. She tried to push herself away, but his thin arm had wrapped her throat; choking her. She gagged and swatted at him.

"Ssh, baby, daddy's got you. You're safe now. I won't hurt my Abby. I'll protect you," his silky smooth voice comforted and relaxed her.

_It's all an act. He didn't mean to hurt me. It was all to call attention; nothing more than that. He loves me and cares about me. He'd never—_

A loud click sounded in her ear.

Her cracking voice whispered to him. "Daddy—" she cried.

Jackson pressed the barrel of the stolen gun to her temple. Abby froze at the sudden pressure and threat.

_Daddy, what are you doing? You won't hurt me, right? Please, daddy… I'll be a good girl._

"Get me Dr. Carter right now or else I'll blow her brains out," he warned the remaining guard, who seemed to be debating a course of action. "Don't test me. The results won't be pretty."

"Dad…daddy…" Abby twisted in his unrelenting grip.

"Ssh," he whispered, his lips caressing her unruly hair near her ear. "I won't hurt you, sweetie. I promise. It's all just for show."

"Rippner, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Philippe had arrived with reinforcements in the form of extra guards. Hatred consumed his face.

"Tell them to hit the road," Jackson ordered as he glared angrily at the guards.

Philippe solemnly nodded at the guards, humoring her father. They reluctantly behaved—Abby could see that they were just waiting for a chance to take him down. They want to hurt her father. Philippe entered the room completely and restrained himself from running to punch Jackson. She could see her step-father's clenched fists and it did not take a genius to realize that he had in mind.

"You always thought you'd won, didn't you?" taunted Jackson Rippner. "You thought you could easily steal my life away. Well, your time is up. I'm taking back what belongs to me. See her?" He stroked her hair gently; as if she were a beloved pet. "Who's daughter is she, Dr. Carter? Don't lie."

"Lisa's," Philippe hissed.

"Don't play games with me!" he raged. He roughly ripped her thick, dark hair and caused her to yelp.

"Dad, daddy," Abby pleaded with him. "You're hurting me."

"Ssh, sweetie," he crooned, his hold on her soft now. She could imagine herself as a newborn baby, cradled safely in his arms. "I'm just getting what you wanted, remember?"

"Abby," Philippe's voice conveyed his overwhelming concern as he tried to step closer.

"Uhuh," warned Jackson, cocking the gun again to make his point. "I will shoot her if you try and move towards me. Who hurt Lisa, Dr. Carter? Me. Don't test me. No one will take my daughter away from me."

"What do you want, Rippner?"

"Simple: I want my life. Release me and Abby and I will go on our merry way." Jackson was smiling brightly. She could feel it in his words. "Surely, you wouldn't deprive me of my parental rights? Otherwise, I will be sorely tempted to drag this into a long, very messy court battle. And I know you don't want that. Besides, why should we bother to upset my wife anymore than necessary?"

"Lisa is not your wife, Rippner. Not since you died!" snapped Philippe. "She still thinks you're dead!"

"All the more reason to release me. Abby will go with me. Tell _my wife_ that she simply ran away. She'll get over it."

"Philippe, please," begged Abby in a childish voice. Jackson was scaring her slightly now. She still wanted to be with him, but what did that entail? "He's my father and I want to live with him. What are you so afraid of?"

"Abby, you know I can't do this. He's a killer!" Philippe was pleading with her to stop what she could tell he deemed 'madness'. She knew the way his mind worked.

"No, he's not!" she protested in his defense. "Mother is the killer! She's the one who belongs locked up in your precious institution!"

"What lies have you feed her innocent mind, Rippner? How have you poisoned her?" Philippe demanded to know.

"Poisoned her? He laughed harshly; a cold sound escaping. "I merely told her the truth!"

"Your distorted version of it without a doubt," snorted her step-father.

"I hate you! I just want to be with him! He loves me, unlike mommy dearest. He cares about me!" Abby called out.

"He's not capable of love or compassion, now are you, Rippner? Or should I say, Jack the Ripper?"

The gun swiveled to face Philippe. "Care to repeat that?"

Abby knew that they would just keeping picking on each other all day, unless she did something. Jackson was distracted, so she jerked his arm upwards and caused him to accidentally shoot the ceiling when he misfired because of her actions. He let go of her and Philippe swooped in to pull her towards him.

"No! Daddy!" she cried out as he attempted to drag her towards what he viewed as safety. She did not want to leave her father. If she left this room without him, she knew deep inside that she would never see him again. "Daddy!"

Jackson growled low in his throat and fired the gun. Abby screamed as she was knocked to the floor.

Philippe had fallen beside her and his chest was heaving. The blood from the bullet wound above his heart was spreading rapidly. He was dying, thanks to Jackson. He was killing the last person that stood between him and his family.

Her father stepped on, rather than over, Philippe and pulled her up from the floor. Abby clung to his shirt, shaking slightly.

"Good-bye, Dr. Carter," he smirked and another round entered Philippe's bent body. The hand clutching at the bullet hole fell to the floor, landing in the growing pool of blood. He was dead. Her father had killed him.

The guards returned and Abby vaguely remembered Jackson dragging her from the room and eventually to Philippe's car. He had stolen the keys from the dead psychiatrist's pocket.

_Philippe's dead…my father killed him. He killed a man. He's going to take me home now. We're going to finally be a family. No one else is left to stop us._

A mounting feeling of despair and fear was rapidly filling Abby. Something was terribly wrong. _How come dad was so calm and unremorseful? Sure, Philippe had destroyed his life, but why was he was cold and cruel about it? Why?_

Unfortunately, things were about to get far worse before they improved.

**Author's Notes:**

I'm hoping that the length of this chapter helps to make up for the long wait. I'm on vacation, but I finally have a somewhat stable enough internet connection so that I'm able to update. Enjoy! The final chapter will be up on August 25th. Thanks so much for all the reviews!

J-Bird – Jackson's insane and he has no morals. All he cares about his obsession and there's nothing and no one that will stop him. He's not capable of love. Abby will be as ruthless as her father when she finally learns the truth. She's the only one who can break the cycle of abuse and death. Thanks:)

Kizua – Abby never quite sees that her family might have reasons and she should listen to them. Abby's a bit of sociopath (very similar to Jackson) and is pretty much only concerned about herself. Abby is not someone to feel very sorry for because her view is warped. She's written that way because she takes after her father so much. I don't feel very sorry for her, except for the fact that she was essentially one of Jackson's victims and he made her who she is. Thanks for the review and enjoy the rest of the story!


	6. Chapter 5: CloseQuartered Circumstances

**Deep, Dark Secrets**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Five: Close-Quartered Circumstances**

"Abby, I need you to tell me where you live," Jackson demanded once they were a little ways away from the prison that her father had just escaped. No one had dared follow them after Philippe was shot. No one had doubted that he would just as easily shoot her.

"Why?" Abby was confused. "Aren't I going to live with you?"

"Yes, but don't you have clothes and other belongings that you want to grab?"

_How can you be so calm and collected? You just murdered a man in cold blood!_

"True," she sighed, trying to mask her scattered thoughts.

"Good." Her father beamed at her. "Now, how do I get there?"

Abby numbly mumbled the directions to the Carter's house. She could see the slightest hint of a sly, yet extremely triumphant smile emerging upon his face. It unnerved her, and she was already shaken by Philippe's murder.

_Something just doesn't feel right. Why is daddy so happy? He's going to be on the run for Philippe's murder and I'm going to be stuck running with him. We're both fugitives because of what he's done. Yet, he's beyond calm._

The gates at the end of the drive were wide open. Abby sank deeper into her seat as Jackson steered the car up the windy path to the house. Before the car had reached a stop, the front door flung open and a red haired figure streaked out.

"Philippe! Philippe!" Lisa Carter screamed as she rushed to greet the car.

Jackson slammed on the brakes and turned off the engine. Abby saw his right hand reach for the stolen gun that had ended her step-father's life. Her mother was dashing towards Jackson's door.

_What is he going to do? Is he going to kill her too? She'll be heartbroken as it is once she hears about Philippe. Even though I hated him, he really loved her and she returned his feelings. _

Lisa wretched open the driver's side door just as Jackson coolly cocked the loaded gun at her head. Abby froze, wondering what he was about to do.

"Hello Leese," he smirked and Lisa stopped cold. Her expressive green eyes were wide in fright. She was afraid of Jackson.

_Why?_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_No, no, this can't be happening! Not now, not here! He can't be alive—he died! Philippe told me he died!_

"Jackson…" she breathed quietly, speaking his name for the first time in nearly fifteen years. For fifteen years she had been safe from his wrath. She had known that he escaped—the news was broadcasting his description and stating that he was armed and dangerous. He had supposedly escaped from a maximum security prison for the criminally insane and killed a man in the process.

Now he was here, sitting in front of her, in Philippe's car. History was repeating itself. He had come back for her. He must have done something to Philippe. _He would never again hand his car over to HIM_.

"Miss me sweetheart?" Jackson asked sweetly, carefully alighting from the car. Lisa backed up accordingly. "I know I missed you. It's been fifteen long, lonely years without you. Did you have trouble sleeping without me there to protect you?"

"You're dead!"

"No, I'm very much alive. It's your precious Philippe who's dead."

_No, no, no! He's lying! He couldn't have killed him! Philippe was with Abby—it was her daddy-daughter bonding day…oh no…_

"Abby! Where is she? What did you do with her?"

"Relax, Leese. She's just sitting in the car," he soothed, gently snatching her wrists in one hand.

"NO! NO!"

"Don't fight me, Lisa. I will shoot you if I have to. I shot Philippe. I killed him."

The smug look upon his face told her that he was not lying. He was telling her the truth. Jackson was gloating about killing the only man that she had ever loved. Abby's father…no, Jackson was Abby's father. Abby had been bonding with _Jackson_!

_Oh, Philippe, how could you? How could you allow them to meet? Did you warn her what he was capable of? Why did you tell me he was dead? Why, Philippe? Why?_

"Please, don't hurt her," she begged. Her life was over anyways. Without Philippe, she had no one. Abby was estranged from her. The least she could do was allow her daughter a chance at life. Jackson would never allow her to live anyways, but he might spare their daughter.

"Why would I hurt my own daughter? She sprung me from the prison that your _husband_ placed me in. She trusts me. All I want is for us to be a family again."

_The devil speaks with a forked tongue, Jackson. You're the devil in human form—my own personal demon._

"You liar! What lies did you tell her?" she demanded angrily.

"Stop screeching!" snarled Jackson as he transferred his hold on her to her slender throat. Memories bubbled up and threatened to overcome her better senses.

_I have to keep fighting! He can't be allowed to win!_

Lisa gagged and struggled with the lean ex-manager. His fury gave him strength despite his fifteen years of captivity. He still overpowered her.

"Dad, no! Stop!" She could dimly hear Abby begging.

The pressure was relieved at the same time she heard a sound smack of skin against skin. As her vision cleared, she could make out Abby's form on the ground, with her cheek turning bright red and her jeans ripped from her fall.

_God, Jackson, what have you done? She's your daughter! How could you hurt her?_

"Abby!" she called hoarsely, but Jackson locked his arm around her throat to cut off her words.

_He's going to kill me now, right here, in my own driveway in front of my daughter. Poor Abby who never understood—never knew. I should have told her about him…she needed to be warned of the danger._

_It's too late now…_

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Lisa, Lisa, Lisa—did you think that you had finally won? Did you somehow believe that I was gone from your life? I'll never be gone. Even when you are drawing the last precious breath, you will never be free. I will haunt you even in death. You're mine forever more…_

"Abby, go inside the house," he ordered harshly, glaring at his spineless daughter.

She was still lying sprawled across the gravel from when he had backhanded her. The little traitor had turned on him and tried to free her mother. He had taught her a lesson and sent her spinning to the ground. Her cheek was bright red, her jeans torn and bloodstained, and Abby was dazed.

"Did you not hear me? I said to get inside the fucking house!"

Ice cold eyes blazed into her pitiful form as she slowly and painful jerked herself off the ground. The hurt look on her face did not faze him—Lisa had shot him the look dozens of times. It had never helped her. He did not care what everyone else thought or wanted. All he cared about was himself.

"Daddy," his daughter was whispering.

"Get inside the house right now, Abby. Don't disobey me."

She scrambled up the steps and entered the house. Jackson smiled down at Lisa. "And you thought I'd be a terrible father," he sneered. "She loves me and respects more than she does you. See how little she cares for you?"

Lisa's response was gagging sounds, but he didn't appear to notice. He was lost in the midst of his own insanity.

"Not that she has much longer to worry about you. I'm finally going to finish what I started Lisa. I _never_ break my promises…" His full lips trailed from near her ear to down the side of her throat.

She trembled beneath his touch, which thrilled him. He had been longing to touch his Lisa once more: to torment her, to scare her, to fuck her. She was his.

_You'll never leave me again._

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Desperation had begun to set in.

_I have to stop him. There's something terribly wrong with my dad. _

Abby watched helpless as her furious father dragged her mother into Philippe's house. Sure, they had argued often and it was clear that Lisa resented her, but it still pained her some to see her mother hurt. Especially by her father. _They must have loved each other at some point, right?_

"Abby, go fetch me a knife," Jackson was calling.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

His frozen blue orbs sent a chill down her spine. She did not want to participate in another murder or witness it, but she was afraid of him. He had snapped somehow and now she feared for her own life.

_Can I stand there and watch him kill her? Isn't that what I always wanted?_

There was no doubt in her mind that he intended to kill Lisa. The past had somehow torn them apart and destroyed any feelings that her parents had once shared.

_What happened to them?_

She slipped out two knives and carefully hid one in her sleeve. _Just in case…_

"Good girl," he praised her with a smile. "Unlike your mother." Jackson was glaring at the gasping red head.

"You're no saint either," Lisa wheezed.

"Would you care to repeat that, sweetheart?" He was now waving the blade in front of her mother's face.

"Dad, what are you doing? What did she ever do to you? Didn't you ever love her?" Abby blurted out.

"I did love her—until she betrayed me! Now she still has to pay!"

Blood trickled down the shinning blade as Jackson forced it against Lisa's throat. Her mother was whimpering.

_Daddy, what's wrong? What happened to you?_

"Haven't I paid enough, Jack? Wasn't raping me enough?" She heard her mother cry softly.

"Bad girls are punished, Leese, and you know that. You had misbehaved."

_Raped? He raped her? How could he? I thought he loved her!_

"You're a despicable bastard," Lisa snarled. "I tried to get away from you and your obsession, but you couldn't let me go. You just wanted your revenge!"

"Seventeen years, Leese," he reminded her. "Seventeen years ago you fucked up my life and my career. Your payment is long overdue."

_What kind of monster is he? Seventeen years of hatred? A revenge plot?_

"Good-bye, sweetheart," he said joyfully, his lips caressing her mother's neck as he dragged the knife across the delicate flesh softly, a thin red line appearing behind it.

"NO! Dad!" Abby cried out, pressing the knife she carried into his back. "You can't!"

Jackson Rippner paused and then spun around. His eyes narrowed and he advanced on her shrinking form. Lisa lay crumpled on the floor, weak from her fear and blood loss. Abby had stopped him from slitting her throat, but a sizable wound still remained.

"What?" growled her father. "Do you want to die first?"

_Philippe was right—he is dangerous. He's a killer. He was never going to keep me with him. He never loved me. He was using me all along. How could I have been so blind?_

"No, please, no…"

"Speak up!"

"I can't let you kill anyone else, daddy."

"You don't care about them. All they do is cause trouble for you. Trust me—you're better off without them," he was smooth-talking her again, luring her back into his trap.

"I don't believe you."

A harsh laugh erupted from her father, who turned his head to Lisa. "Well, it looks like she finally figured it out." He clapped soundly now as he smirked at her. "And she took only a little bit longer than you."

"Go screw yourself, Jackson," her mother responded nastily, a scowl masking her pretty features.

He bent down and grasped Lisa's chin. "You know I'd much rather do you."

Lisa made a disgusted sound and Jackson shoved her to the ground. She tried to lash out at him, but he was straddling her hips and holding her to the floor.

"No! No! No!" Lisa was screaming in fear. "Never again!"

_He's going to rape her again, isn't he? Is that why she is so afraid of him? Because he hurt her once?_

"There's no one to save you now," he sneered. "Your precious savior is dead. He couldn't even save himself."

_This can't be happening…_

Abby watched in disbelief and horror as her father ran a hand down her mother's trembling thigh, stroking the skin. Lisa seemed defeated and broken. Neither of them appeared to notice that she was quietly observing them.

_This is how I was born wasn't it? He did this to her and I'm the result. He's not the kind of man who deserves to be a father. He never cared. Only Philippe truly did and now he's dead. Oh, what have I done?_

Jackson was ripping open Lisa's blouse now and drawing the knife across the scars that it concealed. He was smiling.

_He did that, didn't he? He left those marks._

"JACK, NO!"

"Yes, Lisa, yes. You'll enjoy it too."

"You monster!" Abby yelled, jumping on the back of her father and knocking him to the ground. She had forgotten about the knife that her hand had subconsciously tightened around until she saw the crimson streaking through his gray shirt. Blue eyes were wide in shock as he stared at her.

She ripped her hand away from the hilt as if it had singed her skin. She had struck him in the heart.

"Just like me," he whispered with a smirk. "You're just like me."

"Daddy, I'm sorry, will you forgive me?" Abby asked in a little girl voice, suddenly worried. _I didn't mean to stab you._ "Daddy?"

It was too late. Jackson Rippner was gone. Seventeen years of madness ended with one unsuspecting blow. One mistake; one error in the calculation.

Abby Rippner had killed her father.

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, there's only the epilogue left now. Almost done!


	7. Epilogue

**Deep, Dark Secrets**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Epilogue**

With the passing days, Abby finally began to form a bond with her mother. They were both alone in the world with no one else to turn to. Therapy helped heal Lisa's old scars and Abby's fresh ones.

Abby never truly trusted people, despite her attempts. Jackson's betrayal would forever remain lodged in her heart. He had molded her; created her—even from his jail cell. He had been manipulating them from afar by tormenting Lisa and dragging her away for the first few days of her life. Her bond with her father was leading her down a dark and twisted path.

An accident had been her only saving grace. Fear for her mother had saved both their lives and stopped Jackson's cold-hearted revenge for eternity.

Both of her fathers had been buried on the same day. As she reflected on the past, Abby kicked herself for having ignored the gift that had been in front of her all along—Philippe's unconditional love. She had been his daughter from the beginning and all she had done was resent him for a man that was nothing more than a deranged killer.

The guilt threatened to consume her, but her mother needed her. They need each other to get through the darkness and lies and return to the light.

Tragedy had a funny way of fixing things.

**Author's Notes:**

Not the world's best ending, but I'm exhausted and I was finished with it. I'll probably end up replacing it at some time, but it will do for now. I'm out of ideas for this story and I wanted to tie it tonight before my life disappears again.

This might be my last story for a while. I'm going a hiatus soon for an undetermined length of time. I'm going to try to post some stories at some point, but I'm not sure when. With my school schedule, I'm probably going to end up finishing an entire story before I post. I'm working on a prequel to the entire series that details Jackson's slide into madness. After that, the 'Obsession' series will be officially finished.

I'm also working on three or more new stories too.

Thanks for all the reviews and support! Abby is a strange character, but psychological trauma from having that 'hole in your heart' can really mess you up. I speak from experience. She's hard to pity, and I'm not writing her in a pitiful manner. It's her personality that makes her difficult and that's how she always was in my head. She's not a very caring person.


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